(JUBA) – STEMpower South Sudan has awarded certificates to 180 students who completed a four month Digital Skills Programme conducted across its six centres nationwide, a push that adds fresh momentum to the country’s efforts to build a workforce able to compete in the digital economy.
The training ran in Juba, Aweil, Yambio, Abyei, Rumbek and Wau from 14 February to 7 June 2026. The curriculum covered introductory ICT skills, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and internet navigation. Thirty of the graduates are from the University of Juba.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony in Juba on Saturday, Professor Pauline Riak, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of STEMpower South Sudan, said the key goal is to help young people achieve economic independence through skills development. “This is the second cohort of graduates. Over 500 young South Sudanese men and women from across the country are gaining exposure to digital skills and innovative methods of livelihood,” Professor Riak said. She added that the programme is designed to help young people turn their skills into opportunities for economic empowerment and a better future.
Lucy Biel, the Executive Director of STEMpower South Sudan, said the training covers several fields including digital skills, robotics and artificial intelligence. “We are celebrating the graduation of 180 students. The rest of the students are located in Rumbek, Aweil, Yambio, Wau and Abyei across six STEM centres. The goal is to graduate approximately 540 students in total,” Ms Biel said. She added that more than 350 students have already graduated since the programme began.
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Mary James Yom Dut said the training has equipped them with practical skills for community development. “We have completed all the packages. With this knowledge, I am ready to return to the community and offer support,” Ms Dut said. She also urged parents to support education and discourage early marriage. “My message to parents is to stop child marriage and provide more opportunities for children to learn,” she added.
Larissa Beutler, Programme Manager at the Swiss Cooperation Office in Juba, said the most important outcome of the training is the opportunity it creates for young people to build their future. “The future holds great promise, and I believe you will achieve many wonderful things whether within your communities, your families, by starting a business, working for another organisation, or seizing opportunities like scholarships, travel within the continent, or even internationally,” Ms Beutler said.
For South Sudan, where youth unemployment remains a persistent economic challenge, programmes that deliver practical digital skills are seen as increasingly vital. Employers across Juba and the wider country consistently report difficulty finding local candidates with basic office technology skills, forcing many businesses and non profit organisations to hire from abroad. The STEMpower initiative, by training young people in the very tools used daily in offices, banks and government departments, aims to close that gap directly.
The inclusion of robotics and artificial intelligence in the broader curriculum signals an ambition to move beyond basic computer literacy. As automation and AI reshape industries globally, even a modest pool of South Sudanese with exposure to these fields could position the country to attract technology investment and participate in higher value digital work. The Swiss government’s backing, confirmed by Ms Beutler’s presence, also points to continued donor interest in South Sudan’s human capital development despite competing humanitarian demands.
The geographic spread of the six centres, from Abyei in the northwest to Yambio in the southwest, suggests a deliberate effort to take digital training beyond the capital. For a country where economic opportunity has long been concentrated in Juba, decentralising skills development matters for balanced growth. Graduates returning to communities in smaller towns bring with them the potential to support local administration, small businesses and schools with practical digital abilities.
The call by Ms Dut for parents to reject early marriage and invest in education touches on a broader economic reality. South Sudan’s low female workforce participation is linked in part to early marriage and limited educational access for girls. Every cohort of female graduates from programmes like this represents not just individual advancement but a widening of the country’s overall talent base.
The graduation of 180 more digitally literate young people, and the 540 target set by STEMpower, represents a small but meaningful step towards a workforce ready for the demands of modern business as South Sudan works to diversify its oil dependent economy.